Imagine this: a president and his top officials as self-professed assassins - and proud of it, even attempting to gain political capital. It's not that American presidents have never been associated with attempts to target individuals before (but in 1981, by Executive Order, president Ronald Reagan banned assassination by the US government.)

Now, top officials connected to the White House want the public to know that they and the president spend significant time and effort on "targeted killings". When it comes to this possible future assassination, they seem eager to emphasize via leaks the care they are taking in preparing the way.

In the process, they have produced legalistic documents so secret that they can't be shown to the public, though their existence and import can indeed be publicized. These justify to

their satisfaction the killing of Americans without what once would have been considered "due process" or any role whatsoever for the actual legal system. More ...